Just One Word: Wash
by NotQuiteNorm
Summary: A short Will/Nash piece based on the God-awful issue 128 (Just One Word) which left me with just one word: SERIOUSLY! Because I waited for that... For a long long time. Dedicated to TTigerz. I do not own W.I.T.C.H. I'm merely starting to think I should.


**Dedicated to TTigerz, a reboot of Issue 128. I was fairly disappointed by the sloppy work so I've done a short piece of roughly what I was expecting from Will and Nashter.**

**Note to my usual readers and Caleb: Please forgive me for having grown to ship Will with Nash. If you don't like, you can easily cruise past this drabble ^.^ (see what I did there... ship ... cruise ... the issue ... yeah yeah, I'm not funny but hey)**

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"Why the long face Miss Vandom?" Will's somber face became stubborn; her lips pressing tightly together. He didn't take the subtle suggestion. "Will?"

Will stared pointedly at the ocean. Her eyes dully set on the foam that swept back and forth against the damp pebble beach. She'd found a sandy spot to mull over Matt, but had found only now had it become impossible - instead she skimmed stones against the watery surface, watching them bounce until the silky liquid claimed them all, one by one. She could see Nashter's tall, broadening form coming closer as the crashing water became more unfocused to her. But Will refused to look him in the eye; even in his direction.

"You know, it's custom for most races to reply when spoken to."

"It's not custom for enemies to speak." Will blanched. She hadn't been able to help herself and flushed, pointing her face away.

"...Suit yourself." The cold breeze never let her forget that it was late November, but only now did Will refrain from seething as it sailed between them. "And I thought you were the diplomatic one."

"I am the-!" Will's expression became fierce as he grinned wryly; she had whirled to retort before thinking and now glared menacingly into his daring blue eyes. The cruise ship would be boarding again soon enough, and Will thoughtfully glanced up to the sky, guiltily aware that the thrashing storm had dulled into an endless grey blanket of stratus clouds, occasionally flashing with small crackles of lightening that illuminated the dense shadows above. She blew at her fringe as it's presence began to irk her, frowning at the static she'd rather not admit to being outwith her choice. Will was supposed to be a professional... Not an awkward mess. It was partially due to the cold, but Will tightly crossed her arms over her chest, her head falling as he grinned. He was bound to know. "I'm not in the mood, Runic. If you're planning to attack we both know I'm-"

"A disaster waiting to happen?" He smiled, jolting when the ocean beside them sparked and bubbled. "...literally."

Will gave up then; trading in her pride and anger for a pensive expression as she lay against the sand and pebbles. She'd taken the wrong landscape, because as she glared into her own emotional storm, Will's mind fell to Matt and the fight they'd been having. She didn't want to admit she'd been trying to boost her signal when the mast had evidently become a conductor..._somehow_. It had been her fury that had caused this; she was her own reason for being stuck on this journey for even longer. They'd been keeping an eye on Nashter the moment they'd spotted them waiting on the ship, but Will closed her eyes and tried to force out the smug look he'd sent her as the boat rocked in the water thanks to her. The entire trip was already a disaster, and Will sat up just to escape her own worst critic."What do you want?"

"Don't you think the sky is exquisite?" Will grimaced, rubbing her temples before opening her mouth to retort. But his gaze was set on infinity. He stared up into the darkness with awe and she wasn't sure if there was an angle to his expression. It was infectious though, and even Will caved in after a moment and glanced up into her gloom and the fight between her and Matt.

"You're very funny."

"If our skies were as lenient to nature, everyone who was affecting it would perish and we would be extinct already." As she grew uncomfortable from craning her neck to stare at the mess, Will watched his sharp features with a sideways glance, wondering what could make him so happy about that. His lips carried an invisible smile that twisted into a small grin when she finally turned to him entirely. She bit her lip and let her eyebrows furrow as he scratched his neck and his face fell to the ocean, "And yet we live on, while here you are causing a racket."

"I-" Will sighed. She pulled the fried leftovers of her mobile from her pocket, wondering why she had somehow ended up in shorts. The cruise had gone from chilled to bitingly cold, and now Will reddened as her shoulders slumped. "I was trying to get a better signal."

"That**_ was_ **on purpose!"

"**I didn't _fry _the boat on** **purpose!**" Will exclaimed, whipping around to him; her teeth bared at him as Nashter's hands flew up defensively, his upper body shrinking away from her. Will felt her face become hot and she looked around, expecting someone to have heard her, but the glacial beach was deserted. Only then did she glance back at Nash, who'd edged away and was trying to look discreet about it. Before she could help it, a laugh escaped her and his cagey, frightened eyes flew to her.

He frowned then, but she found that it was past the point of no return for her and she threw her head back. He smiled, but from his frowning eyes she could see how confused he was, making it only harder for her to contain herself. "Have you lacerated yourself, guardian?"

"You're so terrified of me!" Will struggled to wipe the tears from her face as she shook with laughter, his considerate smile faltering and a scowl replacing it. Will sat up, composing herself as much as she could; withholding laughter by forcing a fist into her own mouth, which only resulted in one of his eyebrows raising at her lack of sobriety.

"Do you have no control, guardian?"

"Do you have no backbone, Nashter?" Will grinned at his impassive sneer, feeling her guardian confidence surge through her, realizing that the strong, poised elementalist was what he saw of her. Well, Will sheepishly bit her lip at her own thoughts, _strong_. She stretched her arms over her head, letting her back arch as she gazed up at the spirited clouds, rolling dangerously over the heavens. Her shoulders lifted in a single, muted shrug, answering his question; "I'm human."

"You're not very good at it." Will smirked.

"I'm better than you at it." He looked up then, distinctly reminding her of...well...how her guardians often did so when she was speaking. The evasive, non-disclosing look spoke more than he could have and she frowned sulkily. "I am!"

"Then what are you and your boyfriend always fighting about?"

Will was lost then, wondering how much he knew about her and Matt. Because it wouldn't be unheard of for Matt to bring her powers into arguments; her duties. Nashter's look was confounded and watchful, and only then did Will remember her place. His. "That's not your business, Runic."

His forehead sank indignantly over his piercing blue eyes, and every time she said it, the label felt a little heavier. "Fine."

Cool air washed past Will's shoulders and she breathed in the salty scent as he pulled himself up, his eyes never leaving her. The coarse water grazed over the sand and stones listlessly and thunder rumbled darkly, with Will unsure whom it was exposing. She knew that Nash hadn't bothered the guardians by living here, but it didn't make her any uncertain. Her skin prickled when he was around her. The thing was that since his arrival on Heatherfield, nothing had been quite the same for her abilities; as though it was harder to coerce the elements to do her bidding with him asking it to do his. Will glanced at the place where he'd been sitting, finding her eyes on the handprint left where he'd leaned on the sand. Lightning crackled behind her and she jumped, cursing herself quietly.


End file.
